To Love and Remember
by sin-theta
Summary: From a girl to a woman, Tonks has always wanted to live a satisfying life, one that she could shape. But romance turned her towards a track that she'd never predicted... Harry Potter copyright JK Rowling!


Sharp, cold air like knives blew in 14-year-old Nymphadora Tonks's face. She felt a pang of guilt as she thought about her situation: she was sneaking outside with her newly-acquired boyfriend, a shy, blushing boy named Stanley.

"Are you alright?" Stanley asked, ruffling his hair nervously.

"A bit cold," Nymphadora, or as she strongly preferred, Tonks, replied. Actually, she was freezing; she shivered and wrapped her arms around her, silently cursing herself for not bringing a heavy coat. Stanley smiled, his cheeks turning bright red, and took out a dark green woolen blanket from a bag slung over his shoulder.

Tonks blushed, covering both of them with it wordlessly. They glanced at each other, staring with adoration. "Ahh..." Tonks said, breathing in deep mouthfuls of the now-calm air. "the air feels so fresh."

"Yes, doesn't it? I really love being out here with you." Tonks smiled and giggled a little.

"And I'm glad to be with you," Tonks replied, flicking her bright pink hair.

"I've always loved your long purple one," Stanley said. Tonks made a wincing expression and her hair shifted from bubblegum pink to a dark violet.

"I have something to give you," said Stanley. He reached into his bag and pulled out a rose. Its thorns were cut out, making it look like an tame, elegant animal. Stanley handed it tentatively to Tonks. She smiled.

"I love it." As soon as these words came out of her mouth, Stanley bent down to kiss her, mouth shaking a little. Tonks closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.

This kiss happened so fast, a whirlwind of love, confusion, and excitement. It filled Tonks's mind until she couldn't think of anything else. She remembered this moment, even when she graduated from Hogwarts, even when she became an Auror, even when she married; it was seared into her memory as if a red-hot iron had burned her brain.

* * *

><p>They'd met during a meeting. Tonks was attracted to him at once, and Remus felt the same.<p>

"We shouldn't be doing this." Remus's words, although whispered, rang in Tonks's mind like a bell. The two shifted, a difficult task in the cramped closet they were in.

"It's perfectly fine," Tonks said, sighing. They'd gone through this type of conversation many times before.

"You deserve someone better."

"You're perfect."

"This is wrong."

"I need you."

"There are better men out there."

"No! I love _you!" _Tonks cried. "Why don't you understand?"

Remus sighed. "You child will be a werewolf. Please."

"We'll be fine. I can't live without you..." Tonks drove her mouth somewhat agressively into Remus's. "I..."

"I love you." After she uttered these words, she felt a calm sweep over her, as if nothing could harm her, as if she were in a world in which only love mattered.

* * *

><p>Remus was dressed in an elegant black suit, perfectly tailored to suit him. Tonks fingered her own dress: one of finely made white silk and lace. She shivered nervously; it was their wedding day. She couldn't really pay attention to the priest's words and automatically filtered all sounds out of her mind.<p>

"... pronounce you husband and wife," the priest declared solemnly. Tonks exhaled loudly. This was the moment, the moment she'd been waiting for all day.

Remus bent closer to Tonks. They wrapped their hands around each other, closing their eyes. Remus gently kissed Tonks, caressing her hair lightly. Tonks couldn't think and almost couldn't breathe; she felt filled up with the pleasurable sensation. It reminded her of beautiful fireworks, disintegrating quickly but cherished and loved. Although the kiss only took seconds, to Tonks it took an eternity.

"Remus," Tonks whispered. Tears of happiness streamed down her face. She opened her mouth again but couldn't speak; she felt as if her lips were glued together.

"I love you," Remus said. Tonks made no response but cried even harder. This was her special moment with her true love.

* * *

><p>"Ahh," Tonks sighed, closing her eyes. "I'm so tired." She sat in a chair with Remus with a blanket spread on her lap. She held her newborn son Teddie in her arms, cradling him gently.<p>

Remus smiled. "He's adorable. Such a good child."

"I can't believe it, that we would have him. It's a miracle." They gazed into each other's eyes, relishing the moment. Teddie giggled, causing the pair to chuckle.

"He looks angelic. Special," Tonks remarked. Teddie winced, his hair changing from a caramel-like brown to a dark, serene blue. Tonks smiled, eyes wide with amazement. She had never known that the was a Metamorphagus ... She was discovering things everyday.

Tonks hugged Teddie to her chest even more, almost bursting with love for her son. _Our first child, _she thought. She felt as if she were stumbling around in a dream.

Tonks kissed Teddie gently. _My life is complete, _she thought.

* * *

><p>"<em>Avada Kedavra!" <em>The shouted curse hit Tonks squarely in the chest. She let out a silent scream and toppled to the floor, mouth still frozen wide open.

Tonks felt herself land on a flat surface._ It has no real characteristics_, she thought. _It's just a plain surface. So featureless... where am I?_

"No," Tonks whispered. She blinked her eyes open. All she could see was a white emptiness. "Where am I?" she said to herself. "Am I dead?"

_ I don't have clothes on, _Tonks realized in amazement. Just as she realized this, warm, soft robes appeared right next to her. She put them on curiously.

"You're here," said a familiar voice. _No, it can't be... Remus? _Tonks wondered. Her heartbeat quickened as she spun around. _It's really you... _Tonks ran over to him.

"Remus," Tonks choked out.

Remus's expression seemed to relax. He hugged her to his chest, kissing her while she silently cried.

* * *

><p>[AN: Written for The Five Kisses Competition~]


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